Rise Like the Break of Dawn
by csi cameron
Summary: Short, lighthearted look into a morning in the lives of our favorite Arendellian princesses


**Author's Note: just a lighthearted diversion from my other story **_For the First Time in Forever_**. It popped into my head and wouldn't leave.**

The sun had yet to peek over the cliffs surrounding the fjord, its alpenglow warming the sky as it crept through the triangular shaped window.

A groan was emitted from the lump in the regal bed and it slowly turned over, stretching and yawning before falling back asleep. Unfortunately, the hustle and bustle of the servants outside gradually forced the lump out of her slumber.

With another stretch, one eye opened and looked out the window. And with some grumbling of choice words in Old Norse she was sure her parents would be appalled to learn she convinced her tutor to teach her, the queen rolled out of bed… literally. "Oomph!"

By now the servants were used to this routine and were not alarmed by the loud thud heard within her chambers.

She stumbled out of her quarters, hair slightly disheveled as she headed to the bath that was drawn. For most people, the water would warm the blood and help get it circulating. Unfortunately, for Elsa, her normal body temperature negated that effect. It was then decided, Elsa needed to shake this groggy feeling.

Still half asleep, Elsa sat down at the small dining table set aside in the kitchen. This early, she didn't like sitting at the large table that was even too large for just her and Anna in the dining room.

"Good morning, your majesty," Gerda greeted her cheerfully.

Elsa held up hand in a way of signaling Gerda to stop. "Hrmm. Too loud, too early."

"My apologies," Gerda softened her voice and brought the queen her usual fare of abelskiver with lingonberry jam. Elsa notices her standing off to the side, slightly hovering.

"Please, join me. Grab a plate and have a seat, Gerda," Elsa invites. "The jam is to die for."

"It wouldn't be proper, your majesty," Gerda protests.

"Oh, please. I froze the kingdom on my coronation day and Anna went traipsing through the mountains without an escort and came back with a strange mountain man. I'm pretty sure we threw the book on prim and proper out the window a long time ago. Besides, you're family. Sit."

It warms Gerda's heart that Elsa considers her family. Chuckling at the queen's quick account of the past year's major events, she submits to the queen's command. Looking up at her queen, she notices Elsa has some powdered sugar on her upper lip from her breakfast.

"Um, milady, you've got a little something," and she points to her own lip.

Elsa sees her reflection in her silver goblet, "Oh! Thank you." Even though Elsa invited Gerda to join her for breakfast, she is still pretty quiet through it due to her sleepy state.

"Gerda, could you please have Ansel prepare my horse."

Gerda couldn't help grinning at the discombobulated state Elsa was always in during the waking hours. But she did worry about the queen's early morning excursions to the North Mountain.

"Your majesty, do you think—"

"Gerda, I'll be fine. I've done this many times. I just need to let off some steam…er ice, so to speak."

"Yes, but wouldn't some guards with you be prudent, in your state."

Elsa sighed and briefly thought about it. "It helps me to wake up. Besides, it's still early. Trust me, no one is awake right now anyway, besides maybe the baker. I'll be fine and back by the time Princess Anna wakes up."

Once finished with her meal, Elsa heads to the stables and greets Ansel.

"Thank you for doing this so early," she states to the stable master.

Ansel merely smiles at his queen, handing her the reins once she settles into her saddle. As she rides out of the gates, the sun can be seen barely above the peaks.

8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8o8

It's usually two to three hours later by the time Anna reaches the study where she prefers to eat her breakfast. Elsa is sitting at a desk off to the side working on some paperwork. Their routine has been Anna eats in the study and Elsa does work in there to keep her company until Anna goes off to her day-to-day affairs. It was a compromise where they were able to be in each other's company without Anna having to wake up too early and Elsa could still get work done without isolating herself.

"Good morning, your highness," Gerda greets the princess as jovially as she did the queen earlier that morning.

"Hrrm.. too loud, too early."

Elsa just looks up and raises an eyebrow at Anna. Gerda hides a smirk behind her hand as the sentiment echoed exactly what the queen said. There can be no doubt in her mind that these two are sisters.

"Ugh. How is it, Elsa, that you can be so awake this early and so put together?" she groans, still with a bit of a bedhead. "I swear, you probably encase yourself in ice each night to keep your flawless look," she jokes.

Elsa and Gerda exchange a knowing look. Gerda slightly giggles to herself, "If she only knew."


End file.
